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No More Drama is the fifth studio album by American singer Mary J. Blige, released on August 28, 2001, by MCA Records.
Following the critical and commercial success of her fourth studio album, Mary (1999), No More Drama was similarly well received. It debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 and at number one on the R&B Albums chart, selling 294,000 copies in its first week. It has spawned four singles that have attained Billboard chart success, including its lead single "Family Affair", which became Blige's first career number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and a worldwide number-one hit.
The inspiration for No More Drama came largely from Blige's own confused and hectic life. In a later interview she confessed to living a life of alcohol and drug abuse at the time, and as a result getting involved in a series of abusive relationships. The album was an attempt to break free from this vicious circle, which was a result of a deprived childhood.
Stylistically, the album diverged from the blues-soaked R&B of Mary into her earlier 1990s hip-hop beats. This is especially evident in the first single, "Family Affair". Rapper Eve appears on the track "Where I've Been" as well, and urban influences can be heard throughout the album.
Early in its development, the album carried the full title Mary Jane: No More Drama and was to be a sequel to 1999's Mary. Blige's then-manager hinted that the album would be the second in a trilogy and be followed by an album titled Mary Jane Blige. During this time, the first single was supposed to be a song called "Rock Steady" featuring a rap from Jay-Z and Lenny Kravitz on guitar. The song was leaked to mixtapes around June 2001, two months before the album was scheduled to be released and subsequently did not make the final cut on the album.
The original advance copy of No More Drama was slightly different from the later, official release. A vocal loop repeated throughout the whole of the version included with the intention of anti-piracy sings "Mary J. Blige, No More Drama!". The first publish of an AMG review printed in All Music Guide to Soul, a guide to R&B and soul, of No More Drama mistakenly pointed this out as if it were part of the actual album, calling it "as subtle and congruent as a consistent drum hit".
No More Drama received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 77, based on 12 reviews. AllMusic editor Liana Jonas complimented Blige's ability to write relatable lyrics, writing that she "has a killer instinct for creating gritty, thick, and soul-infused R&B fare. Her music is more than heard. It is felt, and audiences would be hard-pressed to not surrender to her groove." Writing for The A.V. Club, Nathan Rabin believed "Blige sounds happier and more relaxed than ever. Boasting nearly as many producers as songs, No More Drama a testament to Blige's force of personality and the authenticity of her vision that the disc feels as personal and intimate as the most heartfelt four-track demo." Entertainment Weekly's David Browne felt that "from the Dre-produced theatricality of the single ”Family Affair” to refined funk and crisp quiet-storm R&B, the multi-producer arrangements are expansive yet warm, and Blige's pushy rasp has never sounded better."
Robert Marriott from Rolling Stone said the record "presents Blige more in touch with her roots, more grounded and ready for her next set of challenges, musical and otherwise, an analog soul thriving in a digital age." Barry Walters from The Village Voice called it "Blige's most rhythm album ever, and even the ballads that can drag r&b down here bristle with bumping beats." The newspaper's Robert Christgau was somewhat less enthusiastic, finding the record "front-loaded", highlighting the songs "PMS" and "Steal Away" while writing "positive attitude's a bitch, not to mention a drag." The Los Angeles Times felt that while No More Drama was "not as innovative as her early recordings," it "seamlessly incorporates the smoother soul and gospel flavors of 1999’s Mary with her trademark blend of hip-hop, funk and R&B." Ethan Brown was unimpressed by Blige's more optimistic songs, writing in New York magazine that, "miserable, Blige can be penetrating and profound; happy, she comes off generic and bland."
Commercial performance
In the United States, No More Drama opened to Blige's biggest first week sales up to then.
No More Drama debuted and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, the official albums chart in the United States, on September 6, 2001 – second only to Aaliyah's self-titled third album. The album sold 294,351 units in its first week of release. No More Drama was Blige's highest debut week album sales, until it was surpassed by The Breakthrough (2005), which sold 729,000 copies in its first week. By the end of 2001, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and became the seventy-third best-selling album of that year in the United States. The album's commercial performance was reinforced by the subsequent release of a reissue. The release of the special edition helped No More Drama to re-enter the top ten in February 2002, gaining more than 200 percent in sales at a total of 61,000 copies. The same month, No More Drama was certified double platinum by the RIAA. By December 2009, the standard edition of the album has sold 1.9 million units in the US, while the re-issued special edition sold an additional 1.2 million copies; bringing its total sales to 3.1 million copies sold.
Internationally, No More Drama became Blige's highest-charting album yet. In Sweden, the album debuted and peaked at number two on the Swedish Albums Chart. In fall 2001, it was certified Gold by the Swedish Recording Industry Association. In the United Kingdom, No More Drama debuted at number 21 in the week of September 8, 2001. It eventually peaked at number four in its 38th week on the chart and on March 8, 2002, was certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). By 2021, the album had sold 578,500 in the United Kingdom. In Canada, No More Drama marked Blige's third consecutive top five album. It reached double Platinum status on April 30, 2002. In Germany, the album became Blige's first top 20 entry, reaching number 13 and staying in the German Albums Chart for 35 weeks. In 2023, it was certified Gold by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI). In France, the album marked Blige's first top ten album, peaking at number eight on the French Albums Chart. In November 2001, the Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique (SNEP) awarded it a Gold certification. No More Drama further earned Gold certifications in Japan, the Netherlands, and South Africa. Estimated worldwide sales for the album are at 6,500,000 units.
While her previous albums What's the 411? (1992), My Life (1994), Share My World (1997), and Mary (1999) each had enjoyed success varying degrees in foreign music markets, No More Drama marked Blige's commercial breakthrough on an international scale. Boosted by the worldwide top-10 success of its lead single "Family Affair", it debuted to her highest peaks in a number of countries and became her first album to reach Gold or Platinum status in several nations, resulting in Blige's first world tour, the No More Drama Tour, and promotional dates outside of the United States. In a 2006 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the singer stated: "After my first album, What's the 411?, I didn't even know I was successful. It wasn't until No More Drama in 2001 that I knew I had made it."
^ Browne, David (September 7, 2001). "No More Drama". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 2, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
